In most of our college and high school classrooms, we’re taught that the world we see is the product of random chance over millions of years. The theory of evolution is accepted as fact in today’s culture, and to think our world is the product of intelligent design is considered…well, less than intelligent.

But what if the world itself pointed to a Creator? The world around us is full of incredible detail, from the veins in a maple leaf to the way seasons change without direction. We live in such a bustle of activity that sometimes we fail to stop and look at how the world points to the One who made it. Here are three things that can give us some perspective.

1. The Seasons

Have you ever stopped to think about how natural the transition of the seasons really is? How it happens without any direction, yet is so necessary to the working of the world?

Spring flowers and pollination produce the fruit we enjoy in the summer. Fall, while beautiful, allows the trees and plants to seed for the next spring, and winter gives them a much-needed hibernation from the summer’s growth.

Not only this, but the diversity of plant life involved in the four seasons is almost beyond comprehension. The fruits and vegetables we see in the grocery store (and on our dinner plates) are perfectly designed to provide sustenance to our bodies, but many of them also act as the seeds, flowers and roots of the plants from which they are taken. Both humans and animals benefit from the nutrients provided by the world’s vegetation, as well as from their beauty in the gardens and rain forests around the globe.

2. The Universe

If the moon were not in the exact distance it is from the earth, the oceans we see gently lapping the beaches in Florida, California and around the world would be completely out of control. That distance is essential for the gravitational pull that controls our tides.

The same goes for the sun. If the earth were any closer to the sun, it would burn up; any further away, and it would be too cold for life to survive.

We could point to the billions upon billions of stars, the planets we’ve been able to name and identify, and the galaxies that make up our universe as further examples of God’s glory and creative power. The beauty and magnitude of these things are a reflection of the beauty and magnitude of God Himself.

3. The Animals

Many of us have pets. But have you ever sat and studied your cat or dog? How is it that a cat always lands on its feet when it falls? There is a particular design to a cat’s spine that allows it to do so.

Dogs have an incredible capacity to assist humans in K-9 units and as seeing eye dogs. Their ability to smell and sense danger has aided men and women in many ways over the course of history.

The diversity of the animal kingdom alone is a testament to God’s creative power. It is almost as if you can see God smiling as He designed the beauty and uniqueness of each species, from the silly-looking platypus to the regal lioness. A simple study of biology reveals how complicated the systems are behind each of these creatures, from tiny protozoa to African elephants.

Have you ever looked in the mirror and wondered what it takes to allow you to see? We take things like sight and hearing for granted, but each moment our brains are sending messages back and forth to our eyes and ears, receiving and transmitting information just for us to go about daily life. We are constantly processing this information. Our organs are constantly working with one another to allow us to simply live. When you stop and think about it, our very existence is truly a miracle.

While the animals have similar biological functions, also constantly firing to keep them alive, men and women have the additional gift of a rational, self-conscious mind. We are able to talk to each another, process ideas and, most of all, have deeply fulfilling relationships with one another. Perhaps this is what God meant when He said, “Let us make man in our own image” (Genesis 2).

It’s easy to take this world for granted, living in it but never really seeing it. But when we stop and observe what is around us—even what looks back at us from the mirror each morning—we can see the fingerprints of God all over creation. From the dandelion on the sidewalk to the baby in her mother’s arms, this world reflects the loving design of an intelligent and kind Creator—if we take the time to notice it.

Phylicia Masonheimer is an author and speaker teaching women how to discern what is true, discuss the deep stuff, and accomplish God's will for their specific lives. She holds a B.S. in Religion from Liberty University, where she met her husband, Josh, and now lives in northern Michigan with her two daughters, Adeline and Geneva.

2 COMMENTS

I don’t really think the seasons are all that…impressive? Don’t get me wrong, they’re all beautiful and incredible and all that, but it sounds like the author is under the impression that plants evolved before seasons—which isn’t true. If we didn’t have seasons as we do, plants would have evolved differently, to fit the conditions of whatever their environment offered. If they didn’t, they would die.
As well, I’m not sure I understand why plants “need a hibernation” at all—or why it’s a good thing, considering not having enough food (or warmth) in the winter was and still is a very serious problem for humans around the world. Why? Why is winter a good thing at all? It really doesn’t offer humanity—or any other animals—or even plants, any sort of benefit.
Fruit’s main purpose is seed dispersal—plants don’t grow them to feed us at all. On the other hand, having animals eat the fruit, and disperse the seeds, does work in the plant’s favor. The dependence of animals on fruit for food—and of plants on animals for seed dispersal—is truly evidence of how the two have evolved together. Once again, if one or the other hadn’t been available, the other wouldn’t look the way it does now, as it would’ve evolved differently (or else died out).
Another note: why are some plants toxic, or poisonous to humans and other animals? Why is that a good idea?
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With the universe, never mind for now the fact that the universe is much more vast than our little solar system here, the earth and the sun aren’t really as precise as this makes it sound. The habitable zone—the area around a star in which a planet could sustain life—for our sun is much larger than one earth-sized planet wide. Which is good news for us, considering our planet moves about 3 million miles closer to the sun in the winter than it is in the summer. 3 million miles–and you have to keep in mind that the Earth is near the inner boundary of the habitable zone. So…we aren’t in danger of burning up or freezing if the earth is a few inches closer to or further away from the sun, are we?
The moon’s distance isn’t all that precise, either, varying by about 26 thousand miles. That’s over 10% it’s average distance from the earth. And remember, this is every month. But the tides still aren’t out of control.
Now, we’ve found hundreds of earth-like planets in solar systems all over the galaxy—just in the small sliver we’ve been able to explore. Even Mars could very well harbor life. Ultimately it’s just a matter of time before we find life on one of them, right? Earth really isn’t as special as you might think.
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Why don’t all animals have the ability to land on their feet like cats do? Even if not all animals—why cats? Why not dogs? (They’re more useful to us anyway, right?) Why aren’t all animals useful to us, like dogs are? Why are some animals so dangerous to us? Lions, tigers, bears…venomous snakes and spiders, porcupines, yellow jackets, non-domesticated dogs and cats…all pose a threat to humanity. Why?
Humans aren’t alone in being able to communicate, share/process ideas, or have relationships. Those abilities aren’t even limited to primates; dogs are also capable of communicating as well as having relationships with each other and even complex social dynamics, as are many other species. Studying biology shows us that humans certainly aren’t superior to other animals, and animals certainly aren’t superior to any other living organisms—and to think so is a little arrogant, in my opinion.
All of that aside, how one can study biology and agree with evolution—whether they believe it’s a naturally-guided process or not—honestly baffles me. So, does anyone care to explain?

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